


The Case of the Mysterious Christmas Trees, an SGC Christmas Mystery

by DebbieF



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Involves a downsized six year old Daniel Jackson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 05:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12976752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DebbieF/pseuds/DebbieF
Summary: Stargate SG-1GenSeason 3 and beyondInvolves a downsized six year old Daniel Jackson with Jack O'Neill as his guardian.No WarningsDisclaimer: Nope never owned 'em and don't look too anytime soon. LOL!





	The Case of the Mysterious Christmas Trees, an SGC Christmas Mystery

_Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain Complex_

“Colonel,” Hammond tapped a finger against a merrily decorated miniature Christmas tree sitting atop his desk, “those have been popping up all over the base.”

“Sweet.” O’Neill wondered where his was because it wasn’t in his own office. Hard to believe, he knew, that an office for him even existed. Oh O’Neill joked about not having one all the time but since he did now he felt left out not having one of those tiny trees.

“Personnel keep asking Walter about them.” Smiling at the memory of Walter’s puzzled face, when Hammond last spoke with the man earlier, he realized Walter was not the SGC’s Secret Santa.

“Maybe it’s Siler.” Rocking back and forth on his heels, O’Neill tilted his head to the left studying the little tree with its twinkling lights. “Is that my assignment for the day, sir?” he chuckled. “Because if it is I already have an idea.”

“I’m all ears, Colonel.”

“Could be Thor.” Grinning, O’Neill knew the little grey guy was fascinated with the way the Tauri celebrated the birth of Christ. “Then again…” he left the rest unsaid with a light shrug of one shoulder.

"Guess we have a mystery on our hands then." Tapping a branch on the small tree once again Hammond sat back in his chair, blue eyes twinkling.

"Have those trees been scanned to make sure that they're not dangerous?" Knowing it was a dumbass question as soon as it left his mouth, O'Neill winced waving his hand in the air at the general to forget he had ever voiced it.

"Not so _dumb_ as all that," Hammond instantly agreed. "We've been testing each tree as they continue to appear."

"And?"

"Clean." With a sideways glance at the miniature decoration on his own desk, Hammond smiled. "Ordinary decorations of the season, Colonel. Which doesn't mean we'll stop scanning them."

"Think I'll go check my office again, sir."

"Finally admitting you have one, Colonel?" Laughing at the flush that stole up the younger man's face, Hammond went back to his paperwork effectively dismissing O'Neill to seek his non-existent office.

++++

_Colonel O'Neill's office_

"Sir? Sir?" Wondering what had the colonel so preoccupied, Carter stepped further into her CO's office. He was drumming his fingers repeatedly on top of his desk, staring into space. "Colonel O'Neill, sir."

Hearing his name called O'Neill jerked his head around. Seeing Carter standing there, he couldn't believe he hadn't heard her enter. His black op skills were becoming rusty. "Sorry, Carter. What's up?"

"I was just coming to ask if Danny had been picked up from school yet?"

Glancing at his watch, O'Neill nodded. "Yup! Danny boy should be arriving at the mountain anytime." Catching an amused expression crossing Carter's features, he was curious as to what brought it about. He didn't have long to find out when she drew closer and pointedly stared at an empty spot on his desk.

"You didn't get a tree yet, sir?"

"And I s'pose you did?," he dryly retorted.

"Yes, sir." Oh boy! The colonel looks really pissed. Thinking this may be a good time to make an excuse about getting back to her lab, she began slowly backing away.

"Our Christmas elf missed my office," O'Neill offered. "No small wonder as I didn't even know it existed for the longest time myself."

"If you say so, sir." Grinning, she made it to the door. But before Carter stepped outside she added something hoping it would cheer the colonel up. "Maybe you did have a tree and someone took it."

Slapping his hands on the desk, O'Neill stood up. "Then I'd say they have latrine duty in their future."

"Better them than me." She shouldn't have been surprised at the colonel's remark. Those that dared tread on Colonel O'Neill's toes did so at their own peril. Laughing, Carter left the office.

++++

_Control room_

"I have to admit those little trees add something to the atmosphere." Looking at the tree sitting atop his console, Walter smiled watching its twinkling lights brighten up the room.

Lieutenant Benson was on duty with Walter and had to agree with the older officer. "Seems like they're replicating all over the base." Noting how Walter pulled a face at his words, Benson was afraid he had said something wrong.

"Please don't ever use that word around here," Walter shuddered. "Brings back bad memories."

"What _word_ , sir?"

" _Replicating_... _replicator_... take your pick." Looking at the younger man oddly, Walter threw out a question of his own. "Ring any bells, Lieutenant?" Sadly all Walter received was a blank look from Benson. "You need to bone up on the SGC's logs to be brought up to speed," he sighed. "I'll explain it all to you later."

++++

_Level twenty four_

"T, my man!" Tilting his head, studying the big guy, O'Neill stifled a laugh from escaping. "What's with..." he pointed to Teal'c's head, "the Santa hat?"

"I am one of his helpers, O'Neill." His deep baritone voice rumbled in his chest.

"Uh huh." Yup, O'Neill thought. Ask a stupid question. "Don't s'pose you got one of those trees in your quarters too?"

"Do you mean this?" Holding up a miniture Christma tree Teal'c looked strangely at O'Neill, trying to decipher the officer's expression.

"Yup," O'Neill slowly drawled.

"I was gifted with mine earlier, O'Neill."

"Of course you were." Snarking sourly, O'Neill gazed for a long moment at the big guy. It was then that he caught something that came and went in Teal'c's eyes way too fast for him to catch. Dollars to donuts there was more to this than met the eye. "So what cha' doin' with that one? Think Santa will trade ya for a bigger model?"

Raising one brow high, Teal'c was unsure of O'Neill's question.

" _Ohforcryinoutloud!_ " Exasperated, O'Neill sntached the small greenery from Teal'c's hands. "By any chance does this _Santa_ you're working for have a name?"

"Indeed he does, O'Neill."

"Ya gonna tell me or do I have to take ya down to level sixty three for interrogation?" Rapidly tapping one impatient foot on the floor, O'Neill was interrupted by a very young voice.

" _Jaaaaack!_ "

Twisting around, Jack took in the sight of his munchkin running towards him. Bending down he lifted the little boy into his arms, while Jack still clutched the tiny tree in one hand. "Hey, kiddo. How was school?"

"Uh, this was an in-service day, Jack. We didn't have school." Thinking his guardian was acting oddly, Daniel became concerned. "I told you that last night."

Scrunching up his face, Jack tried to remember their conversation but came up with nada. "I've had a lot on my mind lately and completely forgot about it, Danny." Brows bunching together, he frowned. "If that was the case where the heck were you for most of the day? Because I didn't arrange for you to be at the mountain with me."

His precocious brat began giggling adorably. Anyone who heard the child agreed it was infectious. This must have been what the little runt had been like the first time around. Observing amused looks passing between Danny and Teal'c, Jack about guessed how the boy would respond to his question.

"Here at the SGC." Which wasn't altogether truthful. Getting a regal nod of a dark head in his direction, which told Daniel that it was okay to spill the beans, he shyly added, "Also I was on the Beliskner."

"I damn well knew Thor had his skinny, grey butt mixed up in today's mystery!" Placing Danny back down on the ground Jack handed the tree over to him. "Explain," he snapped out. "No technobabble either. Plain, simple English will do."

"You know how interested Thor is in our Earth culture, Jack." Hugging the little Christmas tree to his chest, Daniel giggled again. "This year he wanted to help me decorate the base."

"So those twinkling lights that I can't seem to find an on/off switch for were Thor's idea?" Going around to different offices, Jack examined various trees and it was another mystery to him as to how they operated. Rubbing a hand up and down the nape of his neck, Jack silently applauded Thor's ingenuity. The small alien just made Earth batteries obsolete. It was then that Jack was interrupted by a sudden ray of light so bright that it nearly blinded him. Closing his eyes against it, he heard the unmistakable sound of beaming technology. Cracking one eye open at a time, Jack was not surprised at their unexpected visitor.

"Christmas greetings, O'Neill." Blinking a pair of huge black eyes at the colonel, Thor's head bobbed up and down acknowledging the officer's presence. Noting the little tree in young Daniel Jackson's hands, Thor offered up a question to the colonel. "Do you like our idea, O'Neill?"

"Yeahsureyabetch! What's not ta like?" Squatting down to be on eye level with the little guy, O'Neill smiled. "You'll put the Energizer Bunny outta business."

Turning a bewildered glance upon the child Thor blinked his eyes twice in succession, unsure of O'Neill's meaning. "What is it O'Neill refers to?"

"Jack," shaking a finger at his guardian, Daniel sighed. "This is going to sound really weird to Thor."

Standing back up Jack crossed his arms, looking down on his short fry. "Weirder than facing all the crap we deal with on a daily basis going through the gate?"

"You're hopeless." Pouting, Daniel took Thor aside to explain about a mechanical rabbit that beats on a drum and represents a company that sells batteries. Thor would probably really think we're dumb humans.

With a wide smirk on his face, Jack observed the two little guys talking. Occasionally Danny flapped his arms in the air wildly and would turn to scowl back at him. Thor too would turn wide, curious eyes his way.

"I believe you are in the dog house, O'Neill." Amusement danced in Teal'c's dark eyes, when his brother-in-arms glared at him.

"Kid's got a forgiving heart, T man." Feeling sure of himself, O'Neill waited until Danny and Thor finished their discussion. Then the tiny Asgard approached him.

"What is this _coal_ young Daniel Jackson speaks about putting in your Christmas stocking?" Tilting his head to one side, Thor studied the colonel's facial expression change from a smile to a frown.

"So much for young Daniel having a forgiving nature, O'Neill." There was just a hint of laughter in Teal'c's voice.

Rolling his eyes O'Neill gritted his teeth, finding the ball back in his court once more. "Thor, old buddy, it's like this..."

++++

Coming upon Colonel O'Neill talking with Thor, Walter spotted Daniel with one of the tree decorations. Coming to an instant conclusion, he snapped his fingers. "So you _were_ the one behind the mystery of our Christmas trees."

"Thor as well," Daniel added with a grin. "Was there a pool going on?"

Whispering so that the colonel wouldn't hear him Walter said, "Bets were taken that you were behind it and that Colonel O'Neill wouldn't figure it out."

"So it was a win win then." Laughing along with Walter, Daniel's bright blue eyes slid toward where Jack was. His guardian probably was digging himself in deeper than ever, with what should have been something so easily explained.

Stepping up beside the child, Teal'c bowed his head. "Young Daniel, I believe O'Neill needs your help."

"Nope. Let him get out of this one on his own." Reaching out Daniel took Teal'c's large hand into his own. "But I really need to get to Jack's office next." Looking at the small tree in his possession, Daniel chuckled. "This one's meant for him."

"Is it wise to leave O'Neill alone?" Arching another brow, Teal'c pondered the idea of what could happen if O'Neill was left to his own devices with the Asgard.

"Thor will keep Jack busy with questions." One last peek at his friend and Thor satisfied Daniel. "Especially after I told Thor to ask Jack about Santa Claus, his reindeer and the North Pole. That's another part of Earth culture that Thor yet has to get a handle on."

Watching Danny leave with Teal'c and Walter, feeling abandoned to his fate, O'Neill could only silently think of two words to sum up how he felt at this moment... _bah humbug!_

The End


End file.
